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Friday, April 20, 2018

Your Complete Guide to Record Store Day in St. Louis 2018

Record Store Day is now in its eleventh years, marking more than a decade of the hipster holiday that runs in parallel with the undead vinyl industry. Think of it as Christmas, or maybe Black Friday, for both collectors and casuals alike.

St. Louis is undoubtedly a music town, and great record stores come with the territory, so we've compiled a list of local Record Store Day events that just so happen to feature live bands and DJs.

Ahead you will find perks and specials specific to each spot along with the low down on live music. Check this list for Record Store Day exclusives nationwide and prepare to camp out early Saturday morning for the more sought after releases. Happy hunting!

Euclid Records' bash offers a day-long primer on St. Louis music with fifteen local bands tightly booked between noon and 8 p.m. Think of this as an eight-hour work day for local music lovers, except actually arriving on time (for once) nets you RSD exclusives. Those staying for the long haul can soak in local brew from Logboat, 4 Hands and Urban Chestnut while staying sated with food courtesy of Sugarfire and Hi-Pointe Drive-In.

Being next door to Yaquis on Cherokee comes with its own benefits: pizza and booze. Yaquis will be offering $2 Busch Beers and $5 slices of pizza to anyone with a Kismet stamp on their hand. That stamp will also get you a dollar off anything at the nearby B-Side. Starting at 8 p.m. Kismet will host an open jam; anyone is free to contribute.

Music Record Shop’s RSD event will split its time between the retail store on the second floor of the .Zack building and its green room, 303, on the third floor. Live podcasts and radio broadcasts will take place throughout the morning. A humongous 1,600-piece rock/metal collection will be on display on the third floor. Beverages will be on hand courtesy of Urban Chestnut and Rebel Yell Whiskey, and the first 25 people in the door will get a goody bag. Attendees can also look forward to a scavenger hunt with special prizes.

What this lineup lacks in bands it makes up for with quality DJs from all corners of St. Louis. Free Schlafly Beer will be offered until the stock depletes, but that's sort of the point with RSD. Plan to arrive on time for the freebies and limited releases or face the crushing disappointment of having missed out.

For those who like to sleep in or show up fashionably late, Vintage Vinyl plans to disperse its stock of free Schlafly beer throughout the day. Despite being one of the biggest record stores in town, expect to be cramped as the show-going masses flock to see a few of St. Louis' finest.

HARLAN MCCARTHY

Finally, Record Exchange(5320 Hampton Avenue) celebrates Record Store Day with a big three-day sale on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Everything inside the store will be 25 percent off; items on the sidewalk will be a scant $2. There's no live music to be had, but we'd be remiss to omit this long-standing paradise for crate-diggers in St. Louis.

Happy digging!

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